PARISH COUNCIL MINUTES January 2012
Minutes of Whitestone Parish Council held at Whitestone Parish Hall on Thursday
12th January 2012
(to be ratified at the Council meeting on Thursday 9th February 2012)
Attendance: Chairman – Councillor P Nierop
Councillors Mrs M Belt, Mrs P Fisher, S Heathcote, D Munro, Mrs B Netherway, R Phillips,
M Quinn, A Reed, A Skeet,
District Councillor P Bromell
Mrs P Vaughan, Clerk to the Council
Mr A Greenfield
The meeting was preceded by the January Draw for the 100 Club in support of the Parish Hall Development Fund. The number drawn was 66 and belongs to John Small
The Chairman opened the meeting and the Minutes of the Council Meeting held on 8th December 2011 having been circulated were taken as read and signed as a true copy by the Chairman.
PLANNING
Refusal of Planning Permission
11/03176/FUL Use of land for the siting of 2 mobile homes and 3 touring caravans for residential occupation as a single gypsy family group at Springdale Farm, Bondhouse Lane
Reasons:- 1. The site is poorly related to necessary services and facilities, particularly employment, shops and health facilities, and therefore the location of the proposed development would be likely to create the need for additional travel by private vehicles due to its location and the lack of suitable access to alternative means to travel, contrary to Policies ST1 (Sustainable Development) and ST5 (Development Strategy) of the Devon Structure Plan 2001-2016 and Policies H7 (Housing Outside Settlements) and H8 (Rural Exceptions Sites for Affordable Housing to Meet Local Housing Need of the Teignbridge Local Plan and the advice contained within Circular )1/06; and,
2. The proposed development would be likely to result in an increase in the volume of traffic entering and leaving the Class C County Road through a junction which does not provide adequate visibility from and of emerging vehicles, with consequent risk of additional danger to all users of the road, contrary to Policy TR10 (Strategic Road Network and Roadside Service Area) of the Devon Structure Plan 2001-2016.
Grant of Conditional Planning
11/03205/FUL Retention of filling of 100 metres x 50 metres gorge with subsoil at Way Farm.
11/03567/FUL Use of ancillary outbuilding for holiday purposes or for purposes ancillary to the residential use of the existing dwelling at Woodside, Five Mile Hill
MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION
1 School Houses
Discussion took place regarding the faulty cooker reported at the December meeting. A report had indicated that the oven and hob are in need of replacing and our Asset Group had recommended that a free standing cooker should be provided. A further report provided from Cooksleys had indicated that in order that a new cooker be fitted the layout of the kitchen would need to be changed. In view of the work which would be needed it was resolved that the Asset Group would contact the tenants and will make an inspection to assess the situation. Two accounts had been paid totalling £76.80 for the inspections arranged through Cooksleys. It was noted that the electrical socket which had to be refitted as a result of the previous plastering work had now been done at a cost of £30.
Teignbridge District Council Green Spaces and Active Leisure – Active Villages
Information regarding a countrywide programme aiming to get people from rural communities more active had been distributed to Councillors and as suggested it was resolved to request that Ben Ayres, the Co-ordinator comes to talk at 7pm prior to our Council meeting and this will be advertised to the public.
MATTERS RAISED BY THE CHAIRMAN
The Chairman distributed a draft proposal for the invitation to tender for the grass cutting and grounds maintenance contract for comment. The Clerk would shortly be sending this out for tender.
FINANCE
Expenditure The following accounts were proposed and seconded for payment. All in favour.
Hire of facilities at Parish Hall for meetings re Parish Plan £24.00
Whitestone Parish Hall Management Committee (January donation) £125.00
Clerk’s expenses/salary £230.24
The Clerk reported the following Bank Balances as at 30th December 2011
Current A/c
£200.00
First Reserve A/c £5,588.52
Second Reserve A/c £3,395.25
£9,183.77
CORRESPONDENCE
Teignbridge District Council – Consultation documents for the Teignbridge Core Strategy 2012-2033 Preferred Options. This consultation is taking place from 9th January to 2nd March and can be viewed on the teignbridge website (www.teignbridge.gov.uk/planteignbridge). Drops in Events are being organised and the nearest one to Whitestone will be on Tuesday 31st January from 2pm to 8pm at Alphington Village Hall, Ide Lane, Alphington, Exeter, EX2 8UP.
BT Payphones - A response to the Clerk’s letter following the October Parish Council meeting has now been received indicating that a request has been made for the telephone kiosks to be cleaned and stating that they have been added to the painting list.
REPORTS
A request was made that the leaves in Church Hill be reported so that they can be cleared and also the carcass of a dead badger in the road just above Whitestone Church be reported for removal.
Damage to the road surface occasioned by the contractors doing work for the Forestry Commission at Oldridge has become very dangerous and a request was made that the Clerk report this to Devon County Highways.
It was reported that the warning crossroad sign at the approach (from the Whitestone side) to Heath Cross is missing.
District Councillor Bromell presented an application form for a Teignbridge Grant towards the Silver Jubilee Celebrations being organised for Whitestone. He indicated that he was willing to make a grant of £250. from his Councillor’s Funds towards commemorative coins being given to the children on this occasion and the necessary paperwork was completed. The monies will come to the Parish Council and then be passed to the organisers of the event. A vote of thanks was extended to Cllr Bromell.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Mr Greenfield voiced disappointment none of the proposed Core Strategy Drop-in Events organised by Teignbridge District Council were placed in a more local area for Whitestone/Tedburn/Holcombe Burnell.
The Chairman reported that the Committee would proceed with Part II of the meeting which was an Item where under Section 100(A)(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 the press and public be excluded from the meeting for the following item of business on the grounds that it involves the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act.
The Council considered a report and it was resolved that no decision was made on this matter at the present time.
The meeting closed at 9.15pm